Olympic champ arrested after police sting

Olympic gold medallist and former Ohio State wrestling star Kyle Snyder was arrested Saturday evening in connection with a prostitution sting conducted by Columbus police, according to reports from The New York Post.

Snyder, 29, was among 16 men charged during the operation, which took place on the city’s North Side. Authorities say the sting involved undercover officers posting fake escort advertisements online in an effort to apprehend individuals seeking to solicit prostitution.

Columbus Police Sergeant Joe Albert stated that Snyder responded to one of the decoy ads by calling and texting around 8:15pm Saturday. He then arrived at a local hotel expecting to meet a sex worker.

According to police, Snyder paid an undercover officer in cash and requested oral sex before being taken into custody. He was released at the scene, and he is scheduled to appear in court on May 19.

Snyder is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Ohio State history. He captured three straight NCAA heavyweight titles from 2016 to 2018 and helped lead the Buckeyes to a national team championship in 2015. His achievements earned him a place in the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.

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Internationally, Snyder made headlines at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he became the youngest American wrestler ever to win a gold medal at just 20 years old. He followed that with a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games and placed fourth in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

At the time of writing, neither Snyder nor his representatives have commented publicly on the arrest.

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